Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Mizuki Shigeru is a well known manga author known mostly as the creator of the popular GeGeGe Kitaro series of manga, TV shows and full-length movies. His work is populated with dozens of Yokai, supernatural beings that include monsters, ghosts, and goblins.

Born in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture, his home town has honored him (and made a substantial income from tourism) with his own museum and street.

The Mizuki Shigeru Road runs 800 metres from the main station to the Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum, and along both sides of the street are more than 100 sculptures of many of his yokai.

As well as the bronze sculptures, yokai appear everywhere along the road. The street lights are giant eyeballs, the eyeball being Kitaro's father, the trains on the Sakai Line are decorated with yokai on the inside and out, there is a Yokai Shrine, and many of the gift shops along the road have their own yokai art adorning them.

The giftshops sell just about any imaginable product with yokai designs.
The Museum itself has a large collection of Shigeru's material and includes 3 screens showing videos of animated yokai.

The museum is open 9 – 5 (closed Tuesdays. If a National Holiday falls on a Tuesday then the next day is closed)
Adults 700 yen
Junior High & High School students 500yen
Elementary school students 300 yenMitsuki Shigeru Memorial Museum (in Japanese)
Tel: 0859 42 2171

Sakaiminato is located at the northern tip of Yumigahama Peninsular in west Tottori Prefecture, and is one of Japan's most important fishing ports.

It is served by nearby Yonago Airport, and is the terminal of the JR Sakai line which runs from Yonago.